1. A Husband is to Sacrificially Love His Wife

Just as Christ gave himself so that the church could have eternal life, a husband is to selflessly give of himself so that his wife can reach her potential. This certainly includes the commitment to die for her, if necessary. Most men would admit that the heroic act of dying for their wives is easier than the day-to-day sacrifices that make wives feel valued.

2. A Husband is to Give His Wife Secure Attention

Paul used two pictures to get his thoughts across. A loving husband is to do all he can to “make her holy,” which means she is set apart for special purposes. The idea is that your wife is to be set apart in your heart and your life decisions as the most valuable person in your life who engages in the most important activities. The second picture is that of “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” “Word” here denotes the spoken word and carries the idea of preparing her for the special purposes she holds in your life through words you speak that make her realize the supreme place she holds. In other words, God calls husbands to sincerely, consistently, and abundantly compliment their wives!

3. A Husband is to Give His Wife Synchronized Affection

The idea here is that a husband ought to take the same care with his wife as he takes with himself. A man who truly loves his wife will “feed” her, which means he will do whatever it takes to bring the nourishment to her that she needs to fully develop. As we’ve mentioned, a man will also “care” for his wife, which indicates he will carry out his responsibility to her with tender love and affection. In other words, he will work as hard to take care of her as he does to take care of himself.

God knew we needed a system to help us practice this “tough on me, tender on you” concept so he gave us the keys in Ephesians 5. This passage models how a husband ought to be tender and lay his life down for his wife and how a wife can be tender by honoring and respecting her husband. Both are tough calls to maintain, but will produce a marriage full of tender moments.  

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Bill and Pam Farrel are relationship specialists, international speakers and authors of over 25 books including best selling Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti, and Red Hot Monogamy.  They have recently released a new marriage DVD series for Lifeway, and will be guest speakers for Festivals of Marriage this fall. To order Red Hot Monogamy, discover more about their DVD for couples or learn about their speaking schedule, go t http://www.farrelcommunications.com/.